IIIT_A_Manthan_2

Introducing electoral reforms to reduce the

influence of money and muscle power in politics

Genuine public desires find expression in election results

Vijay Bhaskar Semwal Arpit Bansal Shiv Ashutosh Katiyar Ankit Purnendu Shekhar Pandey

IIIT Allahabad

Problem Statement

•Electoral Reforms, associated with rectification & awareness about – Election Procedure, Contestant , Voter •The electoral system of any country should strengthen the people by promising an equitable framework of economic and social justice. •if citizens do not have faith in the way our elected representatives are chosen, there is danger to the very idea of democracy itself. •Failure of existing framework leading for abysmally low on economic and social justice front and reflected in massive rural unemployment, lack of adequate health care and education, a sharp drop in the purchasing power of the people and a sharp growth in rural indebtedness. •some basic questions that are needed to be addressed ..Is our system is really functioning properly, or policies made are responsible ?D o we really need to change this system ? •Do the measures, which fructify as outcomes of election, reflect the aspirations of those who are excluded from their due share of welfare? •If all question will not address now the future will ask us lot of embarrassing question.

Scope of the broad

problem

Our nation is not performing up to its credentials. Policies are paralyzed.

Economy is at abysmal low i.e. on ventilator. Which is not seen as productive planning, which doesn’t attract for investment from global giant or entrepreneur.

At present our country crawling on borrowed money hence financial crisis at any place directly affects.

No transparency in political system neither politician are accountable. Corrupting is now prevalent everywhere.

There is therefore a widespread and increasing disenchantment with politics and politicians in India. There is a growing public awareness of the rampant entry of criminal elements into the political arena.

Causes of the problem

Illiteracy, lack of public awareness

No infrastructure/investment.

No political dedication/commitment/red-tapeism. While token attempts at reforming the electoral system have been made from time to time over the last many years, to take care of some these distortions, particularly whenever it has suited the party in power, there has hardly been any attempt at making any significant and substantial changes in the electoral system.

Corruption/Nepotism/religion based politics.

Wide gap between rural & urban area.

Misuse of resource(natural, human, even borrowed).

Muscle & money power driven Systems.

Asymptotically uncontrollable system. No clear ideology. Policy paralyzation.

System is not flexible.

Criminalization in politics, unprecedented money flow. Flouting of rules.

Reasons for selecting a

specific cause(s)

We are the ones who get affected, Everyone wants to do something for country , contribute to its progress. Making public aware about their share in country’s present situation, their role in bringing accountable governance. Bringing out the desires of common people in front of global audience in forum so that existing model can be renovated. We want this debate to end here itself with formidable recommendations to the policy makers actually finding a place in draft. The present electoral system in India encourages corruption and use of muscle power and communal pull to gain the slight margin of winning votes. Parties that have the power to manipulate voters using their economic power

Proposed Innovation

a combination of the FPTP and the PR systems Thus only parties with more percentage of voter support can come to power, with inner party democracy

Make transparent and fool proof registration process for candidates. A candidate must file his income tax return for the previous two years from the constituency which he/she wants to represent. All candidates if elected (each year) and their close relatives must publicly declare their total assets, before and after the election. Making false declarations in election affidavits is an offence.

public service Should have represented masses in any form.

If lost last two election not eligible to file.

Not a poor person and special contribution or achievement in social service, public administration, country service and honesty. Whole property must be less then 5 lacs.

Do not have more then two child and an upper age limit to contest & hold post.

Filmstars/ Sportpersons/Celebrities are not allowed to contest as well as

Right to reject or right to recall and right to promote in hand of common people

Electronic voting system t reach even travelling voters.

Single-day single-election for both Union and state legislatures.

Scrutiny of election manifesto (no freebies, subsidies, lucrative false promises), report on adherence to it after coming into power

Review factors which affect the rate of voter participation (voter turnout) mobile voting inclusion

If an elected representative resigns her seat, she will be disqualified for the term of the house and cannot contest that or any other constituency during this period. A new candidate will have to contest in his/ her place.

No whimsically or based on money giving party ticket there should be a criteria; Parties have to choose their candidates by primaries following democratic selection process from within the party. The names of two alternative candidates are to be publicly declared and published on the Internet. If any objections are raised to the candidatures, the objections should be publically declared and automatically recorded in a webpage put up by the Election Commission.

Parties have to nominate their candidates at least 6 months before the election and give sufficient time for the Election Commission to verify the credentials of the candidate, his/ her criminal record, property details etc. If the candidate’s nomination is invalid, the Party can not contest the seat.

All voting will be electronic and a voter can cast his/her vote from anywhere in the country for parliament elections and from anywhere outside the state for assembly elections. Voter identification will be by bio-metric ID and a voter ID card is not compulsory. If a voter wants to cast his/ her vote from outside an election area (for example: outside the state where elections are being held) or outside the country or for a valid reason while being within the country, he/ she should register his/ her name by past or through Internet and will be given a unique ID number, which he/she can use to cast his/her vote by post or through Internet.

Voter ID will be through an Intelligent Card, which may also be used for obtaining government permissions, drawing money from banks, making payments, buying air/ train tickets etc. The Voter Intelligent ID Card is activated for 5 years, only after a vote is cast. If someone does not cast his/ her vote, without a valid reason that act should be made a punishable offence.

Solution

The criteria after vote counting based on following criteria = 30%(vote) + 10% (eligibility) + 10%(social service) + 30% (contribution + debate about recent problem + opinion + innovative solution + accountability + political will power)+10%( popularity between people) + 20% (national survey)+ view about other group(women etc)

Right to reject will allow runner up to take hold of government will save money

Right to direct and demote, if you are not accountable, ban for 10 year and need to pay fine for all the work which got delayed all will done under the supervision of high court judge .

Maintenance of Regular Accounts by the Political Parties-Auditing and publishing – making audited accounts available for open inspection quarterly.

Must show passport, ration card, Voter card ,proper bank account details and IT return form.

Electronic voting system t reach even outstation travelling voters.

Financing of candidates’ and referendum campaigns election expenses are sponsored by the State. This prevents corruption, money

and muscle power, malpractices, play of emotions on communal and caste basis etc.

Reviewing the government. every elected representative should seek the confidence of the voters in his/ her constituency once a year. The confidence vote will be recorded electronically. In case, an elected member loses the confidence (gets less than 50%+1 of the valid votes) there will be re-election in that constituency. There will be no campaigning for the confidence vote.

Support to be rendered to any government from “outside”, i.e. without joining the coalition government, should be legally barred. Only a party having at least 25 percentage of seats in the Lower house.

Merits The proposed system will stop money and muscle power. It is more fault tolerance The country will get ideology and though process. Will stop criminal background people and more reliable policy check as intellectual people

will come). Will meet the demand of country people Proportionate Electoral System provides ample space for formation of coalitions

representing smaller communities that do not have the chance of being represented in FPTP. Smaller parties representing unrepresented communities can make a coalition and gain required percentage of votes in order to come to a winning position of power. This is very important for the survival of democratic governance in India in favour of the poor and also minimization of corruption and electoral violence and enhancement of inner party democracy.

Implementation of

solution

Will develop the evm machine as per new proposed solution with right to reject or +ve or –ve comment

People appointed for by election commission for proper document verification. Make constitution amendment for right to recall rule Make portal for those who are either out side or tour for there vote after

proper verification of code on mobile and some biometric verification using card.

Impact of solution The most popular will rule The system will become more robust and fault tolerance. It will make more scalable and practice system. People have direct representation No biased policy will be help any No discrimination based on cast, religion, Reservation only one time in life by

either one member of family. Open debate, political dedication, Policy transparent. Public account accountability.

Challenge & Mitigation

Huge population and communicating them also illiteracy hinders process of bringing reforms.

Huge geographical and demographical differences.

Profile or personality influence.

Adhering to the self-ethics, ethics of governance and elections.

Inflow of black money, can be curbed by transfer of money through banks

Basic education a fundamental right and awareness

Appendix

Survey of local residents and citizens.

BACKGROUND PAPER ON ELECTORAL REFORMS (PREPARED BY THE CORE-COMMITTEE ON ELECTORAL REFORMS) LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE GOI, ECI 2010

NEED FOR ELECTORAL REFORMS IN INDIA All India Progressive Forum (AIPF) www//progressiveforum.in

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